Modem having flexible architecture for connecting to multiple channel interfaces

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an integrated access device (IAD) that provides multiple communication interfaces for communications to a variety of service providers. The disclosed IAD acts as a DSL modem and combines the functions of a gateway, router, and Ethernet hub to provide high-speed Internet access to PCs sharing a local network. It provides the networking functions that let PCs connect through a variety of methods, including traditional Ethernet, wireless, universal serial bus (USB), and home phoneline networking alliance (HPNA). It also provides point-to-point protocol over Ethernet (PPPOE) tunneling through network address translation (NAT).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisionalapplication no. 60/207,955, filed May 31, 2000, whose contents areincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a communicationsmodem. More specifically, the present invention relates to acommunications modem which can be interfaced to number of differentchannels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL) is a technology which allows forsimultaneous voice arid data traffic to coexist over a communicationchannel comprising a standard telephone transmission line. Typically, astandard telephone transmission line comprises an unshielded twistedpair of copper wire having a gauge of 22-26AWG. Twisted pairs, which canbe used to connect a central telephone system (a ‘central’ unit) to asubscriber's telephone (a ‘remote’ unit) can support bandwidths of up to2 MHz through the use of digital signal processing (ASP) technology.Thus, they can be used for bandwidth-intensive applications, such asInternet access and video-on demand, as well as for carrying voicetraffic. Frequency division multiplexing is used so that a puality ofsignals, each occupying a different frequency band, can besimultaneously sent over the same transmission line.

[0004] The voice traffic band comprises a number of frequency subbands,or channels, ranging from DC to 20 KHz The analog voice band frequencyis typically specified as 200-4000 Hz Customer specified additions mayinclude phone operation up to 8 KHz in addition to 12-16 KHz billingtones. In addition, DC to 30 Hz frequencies are typically assigned forauxiliary analog signaling purposes, such as ringing the telephone, dialpulsing and ontoff hook signaling.

[0005] ADSL data traffic bandwidth for Discrete Multitone (DMT)modulation is typically from 25 KHz-1.1 MHZ. Of this, upstream datatraffic (i.e., remote unit to central unit) uses the 25 KHz-138 KHzband, while the downstream traffic (i.e., central unit to remote unit)uses the 138 KHz-1 MHZ band.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,955 discloses an adaptive data rate modem,The modem incorporates an adaptive data rate encoder and an adaptivedata rate decoder using adaptive, parallel-branch decoding to translatereceived symbols into corresponding data bits. The data rate is changedautomatically and dynamically without interrupting the decoding process.A constant channel symbol rate and a single signal set simplify signalacquisition and synchronization. Incoming and outgoing data arebuffered, and the transmission rate is changed dynamically by a memorycontroller to avert buffer overflows and underflows. An optionaladaptive phase-lock loop system maintains synchronization of the decoderat all data rates.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,840 discloses a multiple line modem andmethod enabling a user to automatically usurp a plurality of telephonelines for data transfer when the telephone is not in use. A user is ableto switch from multiple line data operation to one (Or move) line dataand one (or more) line telephone operation automatically when thetelephone handset is lifted or an incoming call is detected signaling arequest for voice service. The multiple line modern automaticallyreestablishes the data connection on the line(s) that was used for voiceservice when the voice service terminates. The multiple line modemallows end to end service that is transparent to the central office.When all lines are operating in data transfer mode, the aggregate datatransfer rate is multiplied by the number of lines available for datatransport When one line(s) is operating in voice service mode, the otherline(s) maintains data transfer operation at a reduced rate. The line(s)that is used for voice service is adaptively managed by the multipleline modem to provide seamless switching between data transfer modeoperation when voice service is not requested and voice service modeoperation when voice service is requested.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No, 5,910,959 discloses a methodology for a modemcontrol channel. The channel allows faster seamless rate change andprecoder tap exchange than the baseline procedure for seamless ratechange, allowing for more robust transmission of control information Itcan also be used to convey side-information in the case of multiple dataapplicatiors, serving the purpose of mode switching. Thus, with a singlecontrol channel both the needs for seamless rate change and transmittingcontrol information for multiple data applications can be met.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,722 discloses a modern operating selectivelyin the voice frequency and higher frequency bands which supportsmultiple line codes. A DSP is used to implement different existing ADSLline codes on the same hardware platform. The modem negotiates in realtime for a desired line transmission rate to accommodate line conditionand service cost requirements which may be implemented at the beginningof each communication session by exchange of tones between modems. Afour step MDSL modem initialization process provides line code and ratecompatibility. The handshake protocol and receiver algorithm allowreliable modem synchronization over severely amplitude distortedchannels and makes use of a short length sequence to train asynchronizing equalizer at the receiver. The algorithm and correspondingtraining sequence to train the transmitter filter are provided. Aftertraining to this sequence, a matched filter or correlator detects theinverted sync sequence. Detection of the inverted sequence signalscommencement of normal reference training of the demodulationequalizers. An internal state machine in an MDSL modem records andmonitors line status and notifies state change to other MDSL and hostprocessor. The protocol for exchanging line connection managementmessages is a simplified LCP for MDSL. In a DMT system, a transmitterfilter reduces the length of effective channel impulse response.Implementation of the filter combines time domain convolution andfrequency domain multiplication to reduce needed computation power. Thefilter coefficients update may occur through a feedback channel.

[0010] The contents of aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,541,955,5,874,840, 5,910,959, and 6,002,722 are incorporated by reference to theextent necessary to understand the present invention

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention is directed to an xDSL modem including acontroller having a computer memory associated therewith, wherein thecontroller is configured to simultaneously support both a wireless LocalArea Network (LAN) and a home phoneline networking alliance (HPNA)connection.

[0012] The present invention is also directed to an xDSL modemcomprising a controller having a computer memory associated therewith;software resident in said computer memory, said software comprisingpreloaded software drivers configured to support a plurality of PCMCIAcards; at least one PCMCIA slot accessible from an exterior surface ofthe modem; and at least one port configured to accept a new softwaredriver suitable for cooperating with a PCMCIA card for which no suitablesoftware driver is already resident in said computer memory, whereinupon insertion of a PCMCIA card, a proper software driver isautomatically invoked, if said proper software driver is resident insaid computer memory.

[0013] The present invention is fier directed to an xDSL modemcomprising a motherboard having a controller having a first computermemory associated therewith; and at least one voice expansion slotconnected to the motherboard; wherein the xDSL modem is convertible intoa voice-capable device, upon insertion of a voice card in the voiceexpansion slot, Such an xDSL modem may further comprise a voice cardcomprising at least one digital signal processor (ASP) unit and at leastone subscriber line interface circuits (SLIC), the voice card beingconfigured to support at least one coder-decoder (codec) standard and atleast one voice protocol. In addition, the codec standard may includestandards from the group consisting of G.711, G.726, G.723.1, G.729A andG.728, while the voice protocol may include standards from the groupconsisting of MGCP, SIP, H.323, H.248/MEGACO.

[0014] The present invention is also directed to an xDSL modemcomprising a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection, a homephoneline networking alliance (HPNA) connection an ethernet connection,an universal serial bus (USB) connection. Additional features mayinclude one or more PCMCIA slots, a voice expansion slot, an audio port;and a serial port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present invention is described in detail below with referenceto the draings in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 presents a block diagram of an access system whichincorporates an integrated access device (LAD) in accordance with thepresent invention;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the accessdevice according to the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a rear view of one embodiment of the access deviceaccording to the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a close-up view of a portion of the rear view of oneembodiment of the access device according to the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 5 shows an Ethernet network with an access device accordingto the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 6 shows an HPNA network with an access device according tothe present invention;

[0022]FIG. 7 shows a wireless network with an access device according tothe present invention;

[0023]FIG. 8 shows a hybrid network with an access device according tothe present invention;

[0024]FIG. 9 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the access devicein accordance with the present invention;

[0025]FIG. 10 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the accessdevice in accordance with the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 11 shows an access system which incorporates an access deviceaccording to the present invention with a POTS splitter;

[0027]FIG. 12 shows an access system which incorporates an access deviceaccording to the present invention with microfilters;

[0028]FIG. 13 shows a sample on-screen installation instructions window;

[0029]FIG. 14 shows a sample home page of the access device containingon-line configuration instructions for a user to configure the accessdevice; and

[0030]FIG. 15 is a flow chart summnzing the installation procedure anduse of the access device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an access system which incorporatesan integrated access device (IAD) in accordance with the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 1, the access system 100 comprises an accessdevice 102, a transmission line 104 which is connected to the accessdevice 102, and a network 106 which is also connected to the accessdevice 102. The transmission line 104 can be a single digital subscriberline (DSL) line. The access device 102 is an IAD. It allows users tophysically network multiple client computers and phones together toshare a single DSL line and Internet connection. As shown in FIG 1, thenetwork 106 connects a plurality of computers 112A, 112B, and 112C, suchas personal computers (PCs), a plurality of telephone equipment 114A,114B, and 114C, such as telephone sets and FAX machines 124, ancillaries116 such as printers and scanners, IP phone 118, such as VoIP (voiceover Internet protocol (IP)), VoDSL (voice over DSL), and VoATM (voiceover asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)). The network 106 can also beTirelessly connected to remotely located computers 120 and mobilecomputers 122 such as laptops and personal data assistants (PDAs).

[0032]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the accessdevice according to the present invention. In the access device 200shown in FIG. 2, there is a plurality of Light Emitting Diode (LEDs) andtwo personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA)card ports.

[0033] At the front is a LED panel 202, located on which are a power LED204, a DSL LED 206, a first PCMCIA LED 208, a second PCMCIA LED 210, andan activity LED group 212. These LEDs, as will be discussed in detailbelow, indicate the status and activities of various components of theaccess device 200. Located on one side of the access device 200, asshown in FIG. 2, is a port panel 214, which contains a first PCMCIA port216 and a second PCMCIA port 218. These two ports receive PCMCIA cards,including PCMCIA cards that support wireless communications such as forestablishing a virtual private network (VPN).

[0034] The power LED 204 indicates the application of power to theaccess device 200. When power is on, the power LED 204 shows green lightOtherwise, when the power is off, the green light is off. The DSL LED206 indicates the DSL connection and the synchronization with asymmetricDSL (ADSL) transceiver unit (ATU). When DSL is connected and issynchronized with ATU-C (ATU central), the DSL LED 206 shows greenlight. When DSL is connected and is not synchronized with ATU-C, the DSLLED 206 shows yellow light. When there is no DSL connection, the DSL LED206 shows no light. The first PCMCIA LED 208 indicates the status of thefirst PAMCIA port 216. When PCMCIA port 216 has a PCMCIA card pluggedin, the PCMCIA LED 208 shows green light. Otherwise, when PCMCIA port216 does not have a PCMCIA card plugged in, the PCMCIA LED 208 shows nolight Similarly, the second PCMCIA LED 210 indicates the status of thesecond PAMCIA port 218. When PCMCIA port 218 has a PCMCIA card pluggedin, the PCMCIA LED 210 shows green light. Otherwise, when PCMCIA port218 does not have a PCMCIA card plugged in, the PCMCIA LED 210 shows nolight Finally, the activity LED group 212 comprises a plurality of LEDsto indicate the activity of the access device 200 on a 0-100% scale.Preferably, there are 6 LEDs, with the one on the left lighting up mostfrequently even if there is little activity and the one on he rightlighting up only when the activity reaches near 100%. Table 1 summarizesthe indication of all the LEDs on the LED panel 202 of the access device200.

[0035]FIG. 3 is a rear view of one embodiment of the access deviceaccording to the present invention. In the access device 300 shown inFIG. 3, at the rear side is a connection panel 302. A plurality of portsand slots are located on the connection panel 302 for connections. Poweradapter port 304 accepts a power cord, preferably with 24V ACtransformer, and is controlled by power switch 306. DSL port 308receives a DSL transmission line. Ethernet port 310 comprises 4 Ethernethubs for wired networking with computers. USB slot 312 is for universalserial bus (USB) connection with computers and its connection states isindicated by USD link LED 314. When there is a USB connection, a USBlink LED 314 shows green light. Otherwise, when there is no USBconnection, the USB link LED 314 shows no light. Dual HPNA port 316 isfor home phoneline networking TABLE 1 Indications of LEDs on the LEDpanel. LED No Light Color Light power power off green power on LED 204DSL no DSL connection green DSL connected and LED 206 synchronized withATU-C (dual yellow DSL connected and but not color) synchronized withATU-C first first PCMCIA card not green first PCMCIA card PCMCIA pluggedin plugged in LED 208 second second PCMCIA card green second PCMCIA cardPCMCIA not plugged in plugged in LED 210 activity no activity greenactivity on a 0-100% scale LEDs 212

[0036] alliance (HPNA) connection. It comprises a first jack 316 b forphone connection and a second jack 316 a for line connection, with theirconnection status indicated by an HPNA link LED 318 and their activitystanus indicated by an HPNA activity LED 320. When there is an HPNAconnection, the HPNA link LED 318 shows green light. Otherwise, whenthere is no HPNA connection, the HPNA link LED 318 shows no light. Also,when there is an HPNA connection, the HPNA activity LED 320 flashesgreen light in a frequency relative to the intensity of the activitiesover the HPNA connection. Serial port 322 is for connection to telemetryservice input. The telemetry service includes remote control, amongother functionalities. Voice slot 324 is for telephony service input.Preferably, it comprises up to 4 RJ-11 connections. The telephonyservice includes VoIP (voice over IP) and VoATM (voice over ATM).Audio-in port 326 is for music-on-hold input The indications of the LEDsof the connection panel 302 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, below, aresummarized in Table 2. It is understood that the lights, slots,connections and other features may appear on panels and surfaces of theaccess device other than the ones in the preferred embodiment.

[0037]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the rear view of oneembodiment of the access device according to the present invention Asshown in FIG. 4, located below a voice slot 424 is an Ethernet port 410,which comprises 4 Ethernet hubs 412, 414, 416, and 418. There are fourEthernet link LEDs 402 and four Ethernet activity LEDs 404. For eachEthernet hub, an Ethernet link LED 402 indicates its link status and anEthernet activity LED 404 indicates its activity status. When there isan Ethernet connection at an Ethernet hub, the associated Ethernet linkLED 402 shows green light Otherwise, when there is no Ethernetconnection at the Ethernet hub, the associated Ethenmet link LED 402shows no light. Also, when there is an Ethernet connection, theassociated Ethernet activity LED 404 flashes yellow light in a frequencyrelative to the intensity of the activities over the Ethernetconnection. The indications of the LEDs of the connection panel 302shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 3, above, are stummarized in Table 2. It shouldbe noted that other numbers of Ethernet hubs may be provided TABLE 2indication of LEDs on the connection panel. LED No Light Color SolidLight Flashes USB link no USB green USB connected N/A LED 314 connectionHPNA link no HPNA green HPNA connected N/A LED 318 connection HPNAactivity no activity green N/A activity LED 320 Ethernet link theassociated green the associated N/A LED 402 Ethernet hub not Ethernethub connected connected Ethernet no activity yellow N/A Tx/Rx activityactivity LED 404

[0038] With the capacity of providing a variety of options, an accessdevice in accordance with the present invention can satisfy differentusers having different needs. For example, for home networking, theaccess device 200 provides Internet access to multiple userssimultaneously over a single telephone line, while retaining the benefitof bringing voice service to the home on the same telephone line as theInternet service. For small office networking, the access device 200provides multiple local area network (LAN) options with multipleinterfaces, such as Ethernet, HPNA, and wireless LAN (WLAN), all over asingle ADSL connection. For home office or telecommunicating, the accessdevice 200 provides virtual private networking (VPN), separates FAX andvoice lines, and brings private branch exchange (PBX) functions.

[0039]FIG. 5 shows an Ethernet network with an access device accordingto the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the Ethernet network 500comprises an access device 502, a plurality of computers, showngenerally as 504, and at least one peripheral 506. Each of the pluralityof computers 504 is connected to an Ethernet hub on the access device502. The peripherals 506 can be devices such as printers and scannersand are connected to the computers 504, The access device 502 isconnected to a single DSL line 510 through which DSL services areprovided by a DSL service provider, shown generally as 508. In theEthernet network 500, each computer 504 has DSL access through thesingle DSL line 510. Also, each computer 504 has access to shared filesand peripherals 506. Preferably, the access device has up to four wiredEthernet connections. Additional computers may be added through the useof additional Ethernet hubs.

[0040]FIG. 6 shows an HPNA network with an access device according tothe present invention As shown in FIG. 6, the HPNA network 600 comprisesan access device 602, a plurality of computers 604, and peripherals 606.Each computer 604 is connected to the access device 602 via a telephoneline 618. A dual jack 616 receives input from a single DSL transmissionline 610 through which DSL services are provided by a DSL serviceprovider 608. The dual jack 616 is connected to the access device 602via both an HPNA line 612 and a DSL connection line 614. In the HPNAnetwork 600, each computer 604 has DSL access over the single DSL line610. Also, each computer 604 has access to shared files and peripherals606.

[0041]FIG. 7 shows a wireless network 700 with an access device 702according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the wirelessnetwork 700 comprises an access device 702 and a plurality of computers704. Each computer 704 is connected to the access device 702 by radiosignals transmitted and received by a radio transmitter 720 attached toeach computer 704. The access device 702 is connected to a single DSLline 710 through which DSL services are provided by a DSL serviceprovider 708. Also, a PCMCIA card with Wireless LAN (WLAN) capabilitiesis plugged into the access device 702 to enable the access device 702 touse the radio signals. Preferably, the PCMCIA card uses a home radiofrequency (HRF) card In the wireless network 700, each computer 704 hasDSL access over the single DSL line 710.

[0042]FIG. 8 shows a hybrid network 800 with an access device 802according to the present invention. It is a network which combines thefeatures of the Ethernet network of FIG. 5, the HPNA network of FIG. 6,and the wireless network of FIG. 7. In addition, it also involves theuse of the USB connection of the access device. As shown in FIG. 8 thehybrid network 800 comprises an access device 802, one or moreEthernet-enabled computers 804 a, one or more HPNA-enabled computers 804b, one or more wireless-enabled computers 804 c, a USB-enabled computer804 d, and peripherals 806. The Ethernet computers 804 a are computersconnected to the Ethernet hubs on the access device 802, the HPNAcomputers 804 b are computers connected to the HPNA connections via atelephone line 818 on the access device 802, the USB computer is acomputer connected to the USB connection of the access device 802, andthe wireless computers 804 c are computers connected to the accessdevice 802 via radio or even light signals. The peripherals 806 areconnected to the computers. A dual jack 816 receives input from a singleDSL transmission line 810 through which DSL services are provided by aDSL service provider 808. The dual jack 816 is connected to the accessdevice 802 via both an HPNA line 812 and a DSL connection line 814. Inthe hybrid network 800, each computer has DSL access through the singleDSL line 810. Also, each computer has access to shared files andperipherals 806.

[0043]FIG. 9 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the access devicein accordance with the present invention. It shows the major componentson the mother board of the access device. As shown in FIG. 9, accessdevice 900 comprises a DSL jack 902, a DSL line interface 904, and anxDSL transceiver 906. The DSL jack 902, DSL line interface 904, and xDSLtransceiver 906 function as an ADSL transceiver unit (ATU) and supportIP forwarding (routing) and point-to-point protocol (PPP). The DSL jack902 receives a DSL line. The DSL line interface 904 interces with DSLsignals coming from the DSL line. It may also function as a POTS (plainold telephone system) filter The xDSL transceiver 906 is a networkadapter which transmits and receives the DSL signals. It also supportssoftware downloading. Having the functions as an ATU and those that willbe discussed in detail below, the access device acts as a DSL modem andcombines the fictions of a gateway, router, and Ethernet hub to providehigh-speed Internet access to PCs sharing a local network. It providespoint-to-point protocol over Ethernet (PPPOE) tunneling through networkaddress translation (NAT). Preferably, the DSL jack 902 is a registeredjack-45 (RJ-45) and the xDSL transceiver 906 is an ALCATEL® ADSL DMTchipset (MTK-20140). DSL line interface is well known in the art. Table3 lists the preferred products for the major components shown in FIG. 9,except those well known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the DSLjack 902 corresponds to the DSL port 308 of FIG. 3.

[0044] The access device 900 also comprises PCMCIA sockets 910 foracceptance of PCMCIA cards, flash memory 912 into which software driversand the like may be stored or downloaded, and SDRAM 914. Thesecomponents constitute a PCMCIA interface and function to receive andservice PCMCIA cards. This PCMCIA interface preferably supports 16 bittype-II PCMCIA cards. It also support Bluetooth and other protocols.Supported PCMCIA cards include conventional PC cards, such as streamingvideo and video capture cards, as well as WLAN cards, such as Bluetooth,IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b, HomeRF, TABLE 3 The preferred products for themajor components shown in FIG. 9. Component Preferred product DSL jack902 RJ-45 jack xDSL transceiver 906 ALCATEL ® ADSL DMT chipset(MTK-20140) FPGA 908 Altera ® gate array PCMCIA sockets 910 standard 64pin sockets flash memoy 912 SHARP ® 32 Mb flash memory SDRAM 914 SHARP ®16 Mb SDRAM microcontroller 918 Motorola ® M855 processor serialconnector 922 dual RS-232 connector LAN repeater 926 Hex repeater with 6ports Ethernet jacks 930 Quad Integrated RJ-45 jacks USB port 932 Type-BUSB HPNA port 934 telephone jack LAN oscillator 940 25 MHz oscillatormicrocontroller oscillator 946 3-5 MHz oscillator

[0045] HiperLAN, HiperLAN2, and RadioLan 10 Mbps WLAN PCMCIA cards.Listed in Table 4 are some of the applications supported by the PCMCIAinterface. Also, listed in Table 5 are some of the modes of operationsupported by the PCMCIA interface, Preferably, the number of sockets inPCMCIA sockets 910 is 2, the PCMCIA sockets 910 are standard 64 pinsockets, the flash memory 912 is a SHARP® 32 Mb flash memory, and theSDRAM 914 is a SHARP® 16 Mb SDRAM. In a preferred embodiment, the PCMCIAsockets 910 correspond to the first and second PCMCIA ports 216 and 218of FIG. 2. The PCMCIA cards can be plugged and unplugged easily. Theycan be changed according to needs. For example, a user can use differentplug-ins for different applications. Also, the user can update versionsof applications by plugging in a PCMCIA card of a newer version. It isnoted that changing PCMCIA cards does not affect the design of theaccess device 900. TABLE 4 Applications supported by the PCMCIAinterface. Application Card Type Wireless LAN 802.11 I/O Wireless LANproprietary I/O Wireless local loop I/O Bluetooth, HomerRF (SWAP) I/ODOCSIS 1.0 Cable Modem I/O HPNA I/O TI ISDN PRI I/O DAML I/O MPEG IIVideo I/O HDSL2 I/O SDSL I/O Home Security I/O Cordless Phone base unit(DECT, VoIP) I/O Security and encryption card memory

[0046] TABLE 5 Modes of operation supported by the PCMCIA interface.Number Mode 1 Wireless peer-to-peer networking (LAN) or Ethernet Bridge2 Wireless HUB networking (Router) 3 Point-to-point WLL 4Point-to-multpoint WLL 5 ISDN BRI/PRI (for SDSL/SHDSL/HDSL applications)6 MEG II video distribution 7 DAML support (2-4 channel) 8 HDSL/SDSLinterface 9 Dial-up or derived connection for aggregation of securitysignals (for security interfaces) 10  Cordless Phone Base Unit 11 Zoomed Video 12  Hardware keys, 3DES, or SIM (for security andencryption)

[0047] The access device 900 may also comprise field programmable gatearray (FPGA) 908 and microcontroller 918. Microcontrollcr 918 preferablyis a microprocessor. FPGA 908 and microcontroller 918 communicate witheach other and process signals from the xDSL transceiver 906 and thePCMCIA cards at the PCMCLA sockets 910. The FPGA 908 communicates withthe xDSL transceiver 906 through a system bus to receive signals such asdata, control, and serial/detonator. Alternatively, the microcontroller918 may communicate with the FPGA 908 through an ATM Utopia interfaceand a dedicated control interface. The FPGA 908 communicates with thePCMCIA cards through a system bus and microcontroller 918 communicateswith the PCMCIA cards through a system bus and a PCMCIA control. Asoftware driver is provided to each individual PCMCIA card, Such driverscan be downloaded by ways such as floppy disk, CD, or network access toa service provider. Preferably, the FPGA 908 is an Altera® gate arrayand the microcontroller 918 is a Motorola® M855 processor. It supportsAAL5 encapsulation of Ethernet frames according to known RFC (RequestFor Comments) specifications.

[0048] The access device 900 further may comprise a serial connector922, which is connected to the FPGA 908 and functions to receivetelemetry services, such as a remote radio frequency (RF) control, aradio device or the like, a low speed serial wireless networking, or autility meter reader. In a preferred embodiment, however, the serialconnector 922 is a dual RS-232 connector and is self-powered. In apreferred embodiment, the DB connector 924 corresponds to the serialport 322 of FIG. 3.

[0049] The access device 900 further may comprise a LAN repeater 926,line interface 928, Ethernet jacks 930, USB port 932, HPNA port 934,board 936, Ethernet LEDs 938, and LAN oscillator 940. These componentsfunction for LAN networking. The Ethernet jacks 930 provide Ethernetconnections to computers. Preferably, the number of jacks in theEthernet jacks 930 is 4, the Ethernet jacks 930 are Quad IntegratedRJ-45 jacks, and the Ethernet connections are through 10 base T hubs. Aline interface is well known in the art. The status and activities ofthe Ethernet connection are indicated by Ethernet LEDs 938. In apreferred embodiment, the Ethernet jacks 930 correspond to the Ethernetports 310 of FIG. 3 and the Ethernet LEDs 938 correspond to the Ethernetlink LEDs 402 and Ethernet activity LEDs 404 of FIG. 4.

[0050] The USB port 932 provides USB connection to computers.Preferably, it is a Type B USB. The status of the USB connection isindicated by a USB LED (not shown). In a preferred embodiment, this LEDcorresponds to the USB link LED 314 of FIG. 3 and the USB port 932corresponds to the USB port 312 of FIG. 3.

[0051] The HPNA port 934 provides HPNA connection to telephone sets. Thestatus and activities of the HPNA connection are indicated by HPNA LEDs(not shown) The HPNA connection is capable of functioning as a PBX orCentrex. In a preferred embodiment, these LEDs correspond to the HPNAlink LED 318 and the HPNA activity LED 320 of FIG. 3 and the HPNA port934 corresponds to the HPNA port 316 of FIG. 3.

[0052] The board 936 can be an Ethernet-to-USB/HPNA board. It is an ICboard dedicated for the USB and HPNA connections at the USB port 932 andthe HPNA port 934, respectively. Preferably, it is an IC board that isseparate from the mother board. It communicates with the line interface928 on the mother board to connect the USB port 932 and the HPNA port934 to the LAN repeater 926. The LAN repeater 926 ties together theconnections from the USB port 932, the HPNA port 934, and the Ethernetjacks 930, establishing a local area network (LAN). The LAN repeater 926communicates with the microcontroller 918 so that signals from the xDSLtransceiver 906 and PCMCIA cards at the PCMCIA sockets 910 can be passedto the LAN and signals from the LAN can be passed to the xDSLtransceiver 906 and PCMCIA cards at the PCMCIA sockets 910. Also, theLAN repeater 926 is connected to a LAN oscillator 940 which serves as aclock for the LAN repeater 926. Preferably, the LAN oscillator 940 is a25 MHz oscillator and the LAN repeater 926 is a Hex repeater with 6ports, of which 4 ports are for Ethernet connections, one port is for aUSB connection, and one port is for an HPNA connection.

[0053] The access device 900 may additionally comprise DSL LED 942,PCMCIA LEDs 944, microcontroller oscillator 946, momentary switch 948,and DIP header 950. These components communicate with themicrocontroller 918. The DSL LED 942 indicates the status and activitiesof the DSL connection. In a preferred embodiment, it corresponds to theDSL LED 206 of FIG. 2. The PCMCIA LEDs 944 indicate the status andactivities of the PCMCIA connections. In a preferred embodiment, theycorrespond to the first and second PCMCIA LEDs 208 and 210 of FIG. 2,The DIP header 950 is connected to an internal background debuginterface (not shown) for the purpose of debugging in the background.The momentary switch 948 is for the purpose of resetting themicrocontroller 918 to a default, or initial, state. The microcontrolleroscillator 946 serves as a clock of the microcontroller oscillator 946and is preferably a 3-5 MHz oscillator. Momentary switches and DIPheaders are well known in the art.

[0054] The access device 900, as shown in FIG. 9, may also comprise anexpansion bus interface 962. It communicates with both themicrocontroller 918 and the FPGA 908. It is also for the purpose ofcommunicating with expanded components, such as the components foraudio-in and voice functions, which will be discussed below in relationto FIG. 10.

[0055] The power supply system of the access device 900 includes, asshown in FIG. 9, a power port 952, a power supply 954, and a power LED956. The power port 952 receives power from a power cord plugged into aconventional socket. The power supply 954 outputs the power at aplurality of voltages to drive to different components. The power LED956 indicates the status of power connection. In a preferred embodiment,the power LFD 956 corresponds to the power LED 204 of FIG. 2. Also, thepower port 952 receives a power cord from a power adapter, preferablywith 24V AC transformer. In a preferred embodiment, it corresponds tothe power adapter port 304 of FIG. 3. In addition, power supply 954output power at a plurality of voltages such as +30V DC, +5V DC, +3.3VDC, +2.5V DC, and ±12V DC.

[0056] Through a combination of software and hardware connections to theCPU, all LAN port connections are bridged together in the access device.Thus, the wireless LAN, HPNA, USB and Ethernet ports all act as a singlelogical connection to the end user enabling Dynamic Host ConfigurationProtocol (DHCP) such that all bridging and routing protocols have thesame appearance.

[0057] The flexible nature of an access device in accordance with thepresent invention allows for a variety of connectivities and protocols.A wide variety of optional “user-pluggable” boards may be used with theaccess device of the present invention. One such board is a modular WANinterface “plug in card” which may be configured for ADSL, G.SHDSL,VDSL, ISDN BRI/PRI and cable modem front ends. Another is a modular WANinterface which includes HomePNA 2.0 or HPNA 2.0, USB and/or powerline,Still another is a board with low speed telemetry port which may haveserial connections installed for telemetry/meter reading/internetappliances, and low power RF modules which plug in and provide low speedwireless connectivity(<100 kbps), or remote wireless meter readingcapability. The two Type II PCMCIA or cardbus slots also allow forexpansion to such capabilities as wireless LAN, harddisk, and HPNA 2.0,among others.

[0058]FIG. 10 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the accessdevice in accordance with the present invention. It shows the majorcomponents on an expansion board 1002, used in conjunction with themother board 1004, of the access device. As shown in FIG. 10, accessdevice 1000 comprises an expansion bus interface 1062, designated by thevertical dashed line, which corresponds to the expansion bus interface962 of FIG. 9. The expansion bus interface 1062 provides communicationbetween the mother board 1004 on the right hand side of FIG. 10 and theexpansion board 1002 on the left hand side of FIG. 10. Preferably, theexpansion bus interface 1062 comprises a host processor interface (HPI)1022, a ADC (address/data/control) interface 1024, and a network timingreference (NTR) 1026. The mother board 1004 comprises a mother FPGA1008, a microcontroller 1018, a power port 1052, and a power supply1054, corresponding to the FPGA 908, microcontroller 918, power port952, and power supply 954, respectively, of FIG. 9. In addition, themother board 1004 also comprises a power expansion connector 1058, whichsupplies power to the expansion board 1002. The power port 1052 receivespower from a power input 1092 rectified by a rectifier 1094. Preferably,the power expansion connector 1058 supplies a 30V DC power to theexpansion board 1002.

[0059] The expansion board 1002 of the access device 1000 provides audioand voice functions. As shown on the left hand side of FIG. 10, itcomprises a digital signal processor (DSP) 1066 and an expansion FPGA1068. The expansion FPGA 1068 serves as a pulse code modulation (PCM)interface between incoming audio-in and voice signals and the DSP 1066.The DSP 1066 and expansion FPGA 1068 communicate with each other andwith the mother FPGA 1008 and the microcontroller 1018 to process theincoming audio-in and voice signals. Specifically, the DSP 1066 andexpansion FPGA 1068 communicate with each other via a PCM Highway bus1032. The PCM Highway bus comprises multiple channels. For example, itmay comprise 24 channels. The DSP 1066 also communicates with theexpansion FPGA 1068 through a DSP_HINT bus 1034. In addition the DSP1066 communicates with the microcontroller 1018 through the HPI 1022 andthe expansion FPGA 1068 communicates with the microcontroller 1018through the ADC (address/data/control) interface 1024. Further, theexpansion FPGA 1068 communicates with the mother FPGA 1008 through theNTR 1026. Preferably, the DSP 1066 comprises TI DSP 5409 multi-channelbuffered serial ports (MCBSPs). Table 6 lists the preferred products forthe major components shown in FIG. 10, except those well known in theart.

[0060] The DSP 1066 is connected to a SRAM 1072 for expanded memory.Preferably, SRAM 1072 is a 12 nS 256K×16 SRAM. The DSP 1066 is alsoconnected to an DSP oscillator 1074 which serves as a clock for the DSP1066. Preferably, the DSP oscillator 1074 is a 20 MHz oscillator.

[0061] The expansion FPGA 1068 communicates with a low pass filter (LPF)1076 and an expansion FPGA oscillator 1078. The LPF 1076 serves as aloop for the purpose of controlling timing. The expansion FPGAoscillator 1078 serves as a clock for the expansion FPGA 1068.Preferably, the expansion FPGA oscillator 1078 is an 8.192 MHz voltagecontrol crystal oscillator (VCXO oscillator). However, one skilled inthe art can use other means, such as a network timing reference (NTR) oradaptive timing recovery, to serve as a clock for the expansion FPGA1068.

[0062] For music-on-hold, the access device 1000 further may comprise anaudio-in port 1080, in the form of a conventional stereo jack or thelike. As shown in FIG. 10, the audio-in in port 1080 provides connectionto and receives audio-in signals. It feeds the signals to a musiccoder-decoder (Codec) 1082. The music Codec 1082 performs tho conversionbetween analog sound and digital codes and communicates with theexpansion FPGA 1068 to process the incoming audio-in signals.Preferably, the audio-in port 1080 is a 3.5 mm stereo jack and supports8 kHz sampled music. In a preferred embodiment, the audio-in port 1080corresponds the audio-in port 326 of FIG. 3.

[0063] The access device 1000, as shown in FIG. 10, flier comprises avoice slot 1086 and a voice codec 1084. The voice slot 1086 receivesvoice services, such as telephone services, including VoIP and VoATM,using a variety of protocols including MGCP, SIP, H.323, and H.248,which are standards well known in the industry The voice codec 1084registers voice signals and performs the conversion between sound analogand digital codes. It communicates with the expansion FPGA 1068 througha control/status bus 1036 and a PCM and Frame Sync (FS) bus 1038.Preferably, the voice slot 1086 consists of 4 plain old telephoneservice (POTS) RJ-11 jacks and the voice codec 1084 contains 4 SI-3210codecs which include 4 subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs) and 4A/U-Law codecs. The codec options include G.711, G.726, G.723.1, G.729Aand G.728. The voice codes 1084 is capable of supporting call progresstones out of band with actual transmission and reception taking placevia the programmable SLIC. Also, the voice codes 1084 comprises a voicecoder (vocoder) to support VoIP/VoATM. In a preferred embodiment, thevoice slot 1086 corresponds to the voice slot 324 of FIG. 3.

[0064] The access device 1000 may her comprise an expansion board powersupply 1088, which receives power from the power expansion connector1058 and supplies power to various components of the expansion board1002. The mother board 1004 and the expansion board 1002 are grounded bycommon ground 1090. TABLE 6 Preferred major components shown in FIG. 10.Component Preferred product DSP 1066 TI DSP 5409 (MCBSPs). SRAM 1072  12 nS 256K × 16 SRAM. DSP oscillator 1074   20 MHz oscillatorexpansion FPGA oscillator 1078 8.192 MHz VCXO oscillator audio-in port1080  3.5 mm stereo jack voice slot 1086 RJ-11 jack voice codec 1084SI-3210 codec

[0065] As discussed above, an access device according to the presentinvention may use a single DSL line, which can carry both voice and datasignals simultaneously. Sometimes, the voice and data signals interferewith each other, producing unwanted noise in the voice transmission.Therefore, when the access device is used for both voice and datasignals over a single DSL line, an additional device is needed tominimize the interference.

[0066] The options available for this additional device include a plainold telephone service (POTS) splitter and microfilters, both of whichare well known in the art A POTS splitter splits the incoming signalsover the DSL line and sends the signal out through its voice or dataport, based on the signal's frequency. Alternatively, a microfilter canbe used at each telephone wall jack connected to the DSL. It filters outhigh frequencies associated with data signals and pass only lowfrequencies associated with voice signals to a telephone set.

[0067]FIG. 11 shows an access system which incorporates an access deviceaccording to the present invention with a POTS splitter. As shown inFIG. 11, the access system 1100 comprises a DSL line 1102, a POTSsplitter 1104, a data line 1106, a voice line 1108, an access device1110, computers 1112, telephone sets 1114, and jacks 1118. The DSL line1102 receives DSL transmission from a DSL service provider, such as atelephone company 1120, and passes DSL signals to the POTS splitter1104. The POTS splitter 1104 splits the incoming DSL signals based ontheir frequencies and sends voice signals to the voice line 1108 anddata signals to the data line 1106. The data line 1106 passes the datasignals to the access device 1110 which is wired or wirelessly connectedto computers 1112. The voice line 1108, on the other hand, passes thevoice signals to the jacks 1118, from which the telephone sets 1114 areconnected.

[0068]FIG. 12 shows an access system which incorporates an access deviceaccording to the present invention with microfilters. As shown in FIG.12, the access system 1200 comprises a DSL line 1202, an access device1210, computers 1212, telephone sets 1214, microfilters 1216, and jacks1218. The DSL line 1202 receives DSL transmission from a DSL serviceprovider, such as a telephone company 1220, and passes DSL signals tothe access device 1210. The access device 1210 is wired or wirelesslyconnected to computers 1212 through LAN 1224. The DSL line 1202 alsopasses DSL signals to the jacks 1218 through twisted pair 1222. Eachtelephone set 1214 is connected to a jack 1218 through a microfilter1216. The microfilter 1216 filtes out high frequencies associated withdata signals and pass only low frequencies associated with voice signalsto the telephone set 1214.

[0069] From a user's perspective, the access device can be treated as amodern with extended functionalities. By making appropriate connectionsaccording to the discussions above, a user may use it for a variety ofpurposes. Referring to FIG. 3, for example, a user may connect an ADSLphone line cable to the DSL port 308, a power cable with a 24V DCadapter to the power adapter port 304, and a computer with an Ethernetcable to the Ethernet port 310. Also, the user may install a POTSsplitter before the access device, as discussed above in relation toFIG. 11, or microfilters before telephone sets, as discussed in relationto FIG. 12.

[0070] If needed, the user may also plug a telephone line into the firstjack 316B of the dual HPNA ports 316, referring to FIG. 3, and lead anHPNA cable from the second jack 316A to a telephone set or a telephonewall jack. The user may also connect a computer to the USB slot 312through a USB cable. The USB slot 312 may also be used for wirelesscommunications. For this purpose, an access HRF USB adapter can beconnected to a remote computer. The USB adapter uses RF to communicate,trough the access device of the present invention, with other computersconnected to the access device. Also, the user may connect the serialport 322, the coice slot 324, or the audio-in port 326 appropriately, asdiscussed above, if telemetry services, telephony services, ormusic-on-hold services, respectively, are desired.

[0071] To obtain various functions, the user may, for example, plug inup to two PCMCIA cards into the first and second PCMCIA ports 216 and218 of FIG. 2. The user may plug in different PCMCIA cards for differentpurposes and change PCMCIA cards as needed. For example, for wirelesscommunications from a laptop computer to other computers connected tothe access device, the user may plug in a WLAN PCMCIA card. Meanwhile,the user may fit an access HRF PCMCIA card adapter into the laptopcomputer's PCMCIA socket that supports the HRP PCMCIA card. The PCMCIAadapter uses RF to communicate, through the access device, with othercomputers connected to the access device.

[0072] To download various software and drivers or to upgrade the accessdevice, a user can use floppy disks, CDs, or a network connected to aprovider of such services. The software is downloaded to a clientcomputer which is connected to the access device. The client computercommunicates with the access device to upgrade, or even change thepersonality of, the access device. In other words, the access device canbe upgraded and/or configured according to one's needs.

[0073] To have access to the Internet through the access device, acomputer needs to have a browser, preferably Microsoft® Internetexplorer 4.0 or later, or Netscape® navigator 4.0 or later. The minimumnetworking requirement for a computer includes a 486/66 MHz processor,Windows 98 or Windows ME., a 16 MB RAM, a 10 MB of available hard diskspace. The minimum requirement also includes an available USB port, anavailable HPNA port an available PCMCIA slot, or an Ethernet port. Theextra requirement for wireless networking includes an access HRF USBadapter or an access HRF PCMCIA card.

[0074] Certain software needs to be installed on a client computer foraccessing the access device. An installation CD containing a softwarepackage for this purpose is equipped with the access device of thepresent invention For example, software is needed for the use of the USBport. To install the USB software, a user inserts the installation CDinto the computer after connecting the USB cable between the USB port ofthe access device and the USB port on the computer and after startingWindows 98 or Windows ME. An “Add New Hardware Wizard” window willappear, as shown in the example in FIG. 13 with on-screen installationinstructions for the user to follow.

[0075] Before use, the access device needs to be configured. Toconfigure the access device, a user needs to connect a client computerto the access device and connect the access device to a DSL line. Usingthe modem feature of the access device, the user uses the web browser onthe computer to access a specified home page designated for the accessdevice of the present invention. The URL of the home page ishttp:192.168.1.1.:8080. The home page, as shown in the example in FIG.14, provides on-line configuration instructions for the user toconfigure the access device. The configuration makes the access device ascalable xDSL modem with modular WAN interface plugin card, which may beconfigured as ADSL, G.SHDSL, VDSL, ISDN BRI/PRI, or cable modem frontend.

[0076]FIG. 15 is a flow chart summarizing the installation procedure andthe use of the access device according to the present invention. Theaccess device can be considered as a “super modem”. The access device isflexible enough to satisfy most networking by serving as a gateway for ahome or a small office. The network established by the access deviceenables a single DSL line to be shared by multiple platforms.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 15, at step 1502, a user filters voice signals.If the user uses a DSL line only for data transmission, the user canskip to step 1504. On the otherhand, if the user uses the DSL line forboth data and voice transmission, the user installs either a POTSsplitter between the DSL line and the access device or a microfilter ateach phone jack.

[0078] Steps 1504 through 1510 are to connect various options providedby the access device. These options are for the basic use of the accessdevice. Steps 1516 through 1524 are to use the expanded options providedby the access device,

[0079] At step 1504, the user may connect HRF network for wirelessnetworking. In this step, the user plugs in an HRF PCMCIA card into oneof the two PCMCIA slots, attaches an antenna to the PCMCIA card,installs an HRF device on the PC to be used in the wireless network, andinstalls an HRF PCMCIA driver on the PC from an installation CD or disk.The wireless networking enables telecommuting.

[0080] At step 1506, the user may connect HPNA network. In this step,the user connects an HPNA cable between the HPNA connector on the accessdevice to one of the two outlets of a dual jack. The dual jack receivesinput from a DSL line, through a POTS splitter if the DSL line carriesboth data and voice signal. The other outlet of the dual jack isconnected to the DSL port of the access device.

[0081] At step 1508, the user may connect USB network. In this step, theuser connects a PC to the USB port of the access device.

[0082] At step 1510, the usermay connect Ethernet network. In this step,the user connects a PC to any one of the 4 Ethernet ports on the accessdevice, The user also equips the PC to be so connected with an Ethernetcard.

[0083] At step 1512, the user connects to an Internet service provider(ISP). For example, the user may connect to the Westell website forInternet services.

[0084] At step 1514, the user configures the access device. In thisstep, the user uses a PC that has been connected to the access device,points to the URL of a designated ISP, such as Westell, gets on-screenand step-by-step instructions, and configures the access device. At thispoint, the installation of the access device is complete and the usercan use the established connections, such as the wireless connection,the USB connection, the Ethernet connection, or the HPNA connection forhome networking applications or small office networking applications.

[0085] At step 1516, the user may connect an audio-in application at theaudio-in port of the access device. For example, the user can connect aradio to the access device for a radio-on-hold application.

[0086] At step 1518, the user may connect a voice application such asVoIP and VoATM application, to a voice port of the access device. Also,the user may use a voice port of the access device for videoapplications.

[0087] At step 1520, the user may make a connection to the telemetryport of the access device for telemetry applications, such as a remotecontrol, a utility meter, and a security monitor. For example, a remotecontrol application enables the access device to be remotely controlled,a utility meter enables a remote reading of a utility meter, such as agas meter, and a security monitor enables a remote monitoring of a homesecurity system.

[0088] At step 1522, the user may add PCs to the network. The user mayuse any of the connection options to expand the network by adding morePCs, phone sets, or peripherals,

[0089] At step 1524, the user may plug in a PCMCIA to a PCMCIA port onthe access device. The PCMCIA card can carry any application supportedby the access device. Also, the user can change a PCMCIA card fordifferent applications. This modular feature makes it possible to changethe “personality” of the access device without having to make physicalchanges to the access device itself. It also makes it possible toupgrade the access device by a simple PCMCIA card swapping, withouthaving to make physical changes to the access device.

[0090] It should be kept in mind that the order of the steps presentedin FIG. 15 is not critical. It should also be kept in mind that anaccess device need not have all the functionalities implied by thesteps, and so one or more of the steps may not been available on someaccess devices.

[0091] Finally, while the invention has been described and illustratedherein with respect to preferred embodiments, it should be apparent thatvarious alternatives, modifications, adaptions, and variations will beapparent to those skilled in the an and may be made utilizing theteachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope ofthe invention and are intended to be within the scope of the inventionas defined by the claims herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An xDSL modem comprising: a controller having acomputer memory associated therewith, wherein the controller isconfigured to simultaneously support both a wireless Local Area Network(LAN) and a home phoneline networking alliance (HPNA) connection.
 2. ThexDSL modem according to claim 1, wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to also support an ethernet connection and an universalserial bus (USB) connection.
 3. The xDSL modem according to claim 2,wherein the wireless LAN, HPNA connection, ethernet connection the USBconnection all act as a single logical connection such that all bridgingand routing protocols having the same appearance.
 4. An xDSL modemcomprising: a controller having a computer memory associated therewith;software resident in said computer memory, said software comprisingpreloaded software drivers configured to support a plurality of PCMCIAcards; at least one PCMCIA slot accessible from an exterior surface ofthe modem, and at least one port configured to accept a new softwaredriver suitable for cooperating with a PCMCIA card for which no suitablesoftware driver is already resident in said computer memory, whereinupon insertion of a PCMCIA card, a proper software driver isautomatically invoked, if said proper software driver is resident insaid computer memory.
 5. The xDSL modem according to claim 4, comprisingat least two PCMCIA slots, each of which is accessible from an exteriorsurface of the modem.
 6. The xDSL modem according to claim 4, whereinsaid preloaded software drivers include software drivers for protocolsfrom the group consisting of Bluetooth, IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b,HomeRF, HiperLAN, and HiperLAN2.
 7. An xDSL modem comprising: amotherboard having a controller having a first computer memoryassociated therewith; and at least one voice expansion slot connected tothe motherboard; wherein the xDSL modern is convertible into avoice-capable device, upon insertion of a voice card in the voiceexpansion slot.
 8. The xDSL modem according to claim 7, furthercomprising: a voice card comprising at least one digital signalprocessor (DSP) unit and at least one subscriber line interface circuits(SLIC), the voice card being configured to support at least onecoder-decoder (code) standard and at least one voice protocol.
 9. ThexDSL modem according to claim 8, wherein the at least one codec standardis two or more from the group consisting of G.711, G.726, G.723.1,G.729A and G.728.
 10. The xDSL modem according to claim 8, wherein theat least one voice protocol is two or more from the group consisting ofMGCP, SIP, H.323, H.248/MEGACO.
 11. An xDSL modern comprising: awireless Local Area Network (LAN) connection; a home phonelinenetworking alliance (HPNA) connection; an ethernet connection; and anuniversal serial bus (USB) connection.
 12. The xDSL modem according toclaim 11, further comprising: at least one PCMCIA slot; a voiceexpansion slot; an audio port; and a serial port.